Drug candidate against brain haemorrhages from Bioxodes in Wallonia, thanks to the tick
Ticks carrying specific bacteria can transmit Lyme disease in a bite. But the saliva of this potentially harmful arachnid is beneficial in treating neuroinflammation and blood clot formation.
The biopharma business Bioxodes, founded in 2013 and from Gosselies in the Hainaut region, is working on an innovative anti-clotting medicine to prevent inflammation and blood clotting and stop intracerebral bleeding after a stroke. This flagship from Bioxodes is called BIOX-101 or Ir-CPI. The solution is injected subcutaneously. It targets clotting factors and so-called neutrophils—white blood cells that stimulate inflammation and coagulation.
Remarkably, the solution lies in a fragment of a molecule, more specifically the saliva, of the much-maligned tick. Which, of course, does not change the fact that it’s still best to keep ticks at a distance. Because the longer they bite into their host, the greater the risk that any potential bacteria will be transmitted.
For strokes and brain haemorrhages, however, the outlook is promising, although further research is still needed.